A Sacrifice
by lancer365
Summary: Having run out of options, Kuvira's father is forced to make the hardest decision of his life. One that will change the lives of both Suyin Beifong and Kuvira herself. (About to become a full story real soon ;))


**A.N:** A few words about this. Basically I wrote this because I thought that we would never learn about Kuvira's past. Now that we know a little more about it, this is not really super canon...I mean it's still plausible...just not canon. lol

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><p><span><strong>A Sacrifice<strong>

_156 AG_

Looking up to the blackened sky, Kuvira tugged on the long coat of her father. "Dad, Dad."

"What is it kiddo?" The large man winced at the pain in the left side of his chest, as he tried his best to put on a reassuring smile for his daughter. He didn't want to do what he had to do, but he didn't have any more options.

"Where are we?" Kuvira said, holding onto her father's hand.

"We're in a city…called Zaofu." He said with a labored breath, as he led the girl through the sparsely occupied streets of the main city with haste.

Remembering the security protocols of Zaofu from his last visit years ago, he searched the streets for a guard. No one got up to the main control center of Zaofu without clearance, or without somebody authorized to walk the grounds. Knowing that, he moved through the quiet streets seeking out a guard to use to gain access.

Kuvira tried her best to keep up with her father's pace, but her shorter legs were wearing out fast. "Dad, I'm tired."

"I know you are kiddo…but we have to keep moving."

Turning onto another street, the man finally spotted a guard patrolling near an alleyway.

Stopping by one of the city benches, he kneeled down coming face to face with his daughter. "Look, I want you to sit right here." He said, holding onto Kuvira's upper arms. "_Don't._ Follow me."

"But I wanna come with you."

The man's mouth turned up into a sad smile, as he looked into his little girl's eyes.

Ignoring the throbbing pain near his shoulder, he lifted Kuvira up; sitting her down on the bench, as he took off his jacket, putting it around the girl's tiny arms.

"No. Stay right here, I'm not going to be gone long." He said, turning his head to look down the street at the guard, before shifting his attention once more to the little girl kicking her legs back and forth as she sat on the bench. "_Promise me_, you're not going to move."

"_Ok_, I promise."

"I'll be right back." He said, standing up as he started to walk in the direction of the guard.

Moving towards the guard, he looked back, making sure Kuvira was out of view and couldn't witness the person he was about to become.

A man like him wasn't supposed to have a daughter; and needless to say, he had _never_ planned on Kuvira being born. He wouldn't call her a mistake, but she was the result of a drunken one night stand with an old friend that had gone too far.

Bringing a child into his world was the worst thing he could have ever done. With him, Kuvira would never have a normal life. They would always be on the run, having to move from city to city just to keep her safe. She couldn't continue to grow up like that; she needed stability in her life; something he could no longer provide.

He had done his best to protect her from his world and the enemies that wanted him dead. Every sharp pain that coursed throughout his body as he walked closer to the guard, reminded him of how close he had just come to losing her. Even if it was against his will, he had to let her go, _before_ his luck ran out and she ended up dead.

"Hey! You!" He called to the guard grabbing his attention.

"Yes sir" The guard turned towards him, looking at the man's darkened eyes cautiously as he approached. "W-What do you need?"

"I need you to take me to Suyin." He looked at the guard, watching him move back one step with every forward step he took.

"I-I can't do that."

"Ok, let me try asking you again." The man reached out, swiftly grabbing the guard by the throat as he pushed him into the alley and against the cold wall. "I'm only going to ask nicely _one_ more time." He lifted the guard off his feet. "So, can you take me to Suyin?"

When the guard hesitated to answer, the man tightened the hold around his neck. "You don't have long to decide, before I snap your neck and find someone else."

The guard nodded in compliance, taking notice of the Triad tattoos plastered on both of the man's large arms, made visible by the shorter sleeves of his shirt.

"_Good._" The man said in a dark tone, as he let the guard go. "Do what you need to do to get me to her."

Doubling over, the guard coughed to regain his breath, before stumbling towards the opening of the alley.

"_Woah,_ not so fast there buddy?"

The guard was stopped by a hand, as he looked up to see the vacant red eyes of a man staring down at him. "_We_ want to talk to him first."

Looking behind the man standing before him, the guard saw two other men come to stand at his side. The fire bender in front of him was no doubt the ringleader of the group. The twitchy rat-looking man and the quiet one, standing to the other side of the ringleader with anxious eyes didn't appear to be the commanding type.

Wondering if the Triad member had noticed them, the guard turned around to see the earth bender's eyes wild with untamed rage; his hands curled into fists by his side.

"Wonderin' how we got here so fast big guy?" The ringleader of the group smiled, walking closer to the large man. "Easy, we followed you…" The other two fire benders surrounded him, as the ringleader made his way to whisper close to the man's ear. "I was right behind you the _whole _time." The fire bender's face broke into a wide devil-ish smile. "I wanted you to think you were safe, lower guard down…" The fire bender laughed, moving back into the rest of his group. "…you didn't really think running away was going to help you, now did you?"

The Ringleader stayed silent, letting his eyes search for something around the Triad member.

"Hey, where's that little girl you had?" His mouth turned up into an evil smile, as he moved a hand to rest on the buckle of his belt. "She's cute…I'll make sure to do her _real _good, right next to your dead body."

The Guard who had pressed himself to the wall saw nothing but a blur, as the Triad member lunged at the Ringleader with an unprecedented speed.

Gripping the fire bender's face, the large man dragged him to the nearby wall, smashing the man's head in repeatedly until his face was no longer recognizable. Satisfied by the blood on his hands; the earth bender let go of the Ringleader, dropping him to the floor as he slowly stepped over his body.

Turning his head, the Triad member locked eyes with the guard who had slid down the wall, horrified by the scene he saw before him. _'How was anybody even capable of that kind of violence?'_ he thought, as the Triad member approached him, looking down with animalistic eyes blinded by rage.

"No! I'm _not_ your enemy!" The guard pleaded, holding his hands up in defense, as he pointed past the earth bender, to the other two fire benders behind him readying their attacks. "They are!"

Silently the man hovered above the terrified guard, masked in the shadows of the night.

With a dark gleam to his predatory eyes that shone in the light, the earth bender slowly turned away from the guard to look behind him at the two fire benders with a growl.

The two men shared an uncertain looked with each other, as they stood frozen in place.

With their Ringleader dead, it had become a fight of every man for himself; and they had grievously misjudged the power of the Triad member before them.

Breathing heavily, one of the fire benders launched a futile attack of flames that went easily dodged by the approaching earth bender.

Stepping within arms distance, the Triad member launched at the second guy, gripping his hands around his throat, as he shoved him to the wall.

Squeezing his hands to the bone until the fire bender's vein's bulged from his neck, the earth bender didn't notice the knife in the man's hand, preparing for an attack.

The knife plunged into his chest in between his ribs as the earth bender let out a grunt, still choking out the last bit of life from the man within his grasp.

Releasing the fire bender from his bloodied hands; he staggered back, inhaling a wheeze as he felt his breath constrict.

The guard, who had crawled out of the dark alley, glanced back at the earth bender. The man had dropped to his knees trying to take the knife out, as he continued to wheeze.

Getting back to his feet, the guard ran to the nearest phone in the guard house.

With fearfully shaking hands, he dialed the number to Suyin's office. It was late, but all the guards knew that the matriarch had a habit for staying up way into the early hours of the morning; so the chances that she would be asleep were slim.

"Suyin." The guard's shoulders relaxed slightly hearing the familiar voice of the matriarch.

Breathing heavily he struggled to find his words. "Uh m-ma'am…you h-have to get downtown…quickly."

Suyin's eyebrows furrowed hearing the panic in the young guard's voice. "What is it?"

"There's…There's a T-Triad member…and he's fighting with s-some fire benders who followed him to Zaofu."

At the word Triad, Suyin's eyes widened. _'Was it someone here to kill her for escaping when she had the chance; to tie up their loose ends?' _

Ignoring the thoughts in her mind screaming for her _not_ to go; she picked up the phone receiver she hadn't realized she dropped. "Ok, I-I be down shortly…where are you at?

"Post 10 ma'am…and you might want to bring some backup; this man is _very_ dangerous." The guard looked down, seeing the horrifying images replayed in his head. "…I've seen what he can do."

"Ok, Understood. Don't move from where you're at; got it?"

"Yes ma'am."

Mutually ending the call, Suyin hastily got up from her desk. Dashing out the door, she quickly rounded a corner down the hall; missing the shocked look of a guard's face she had almost hit.

Stepping outside, the cold chill of the night air touched her face, as she let her hurried strides carry her to the guardhouse across the courtyard.

The matriarch rapidly opened the guardhouse door, startling everyone in place.

Suyin stood in the doorway for a moment, looking around at the board games on the tables and the piece of food that slid out of one to the guard's hands. "Come on, I need three of you to come with me…Now!" She turned around heading through the doorway. "I don't care who…but come on."

The guards looked amongst themselves, as the first three who picked their helmets up left, following Suyin.

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><p>Back in the city, the terrified guard peeked around the corner of the opening leading into the alley, letting his curiosity get the better of him.<p>

The last fire bender had backed himself into a corner; holding a knife out to protect him from the advancing Triad member.

Stepping on something under his boot, the earth bender looked down, focusing on the knife that lay discarded from the second fire bender he had killed. He stared at it for a while, before lifting his head back up to the fire bender's darting eyes and continuing his advance.

This was the last man he had to kill and then he could go back to Kuvira.

Dodging a knife attack, fire bender wildly swung at him; before the earth bender grabbed his wrist, breaking it as he listened to the knife drop to the floor.

Before the man could cry out in pain, the Triad member seized his throat, sliding him up against the wall as he felt the cold chill of a rain drop fall on his shoulder.

As the fire bender struggled and kicked in his grasp, the earth bender stared into his red eyes with vacant green ones, watching and waiting for the rest of his life to drain.

"**Drop him and Turn around."**

At the recognizable voice, the earth bender broke from his rage, sliding the fire bender back down to his feet. "Suyin?" He said to himself, staring at the grey wall space next to the head of the man still locked in his grasp. Letting the fire bender go, the Triad member turned around walking closer to the opening of the alley way, as the cold rain started to fall harder. Stepping into the light his face met hers for the first time in years.

Suyin's eyes went wide, taking in both the reunion and the bloodied state of the man before her. "Auren?"

Behind the Triad member, the fire bender regained his breath before crouching down; angrily looking to the earth bender's back he took notice of the metallic chain around his neck.

"What are you doing here?" He heard the woman speak as he picked up the knife from the mud, slowly advancing on the distracted Triad member, careful not to alert the woman or the guards standing behind her.

"I was coming to s-"

The fire bender shot up too quickly for anyone to take action, as he yanked Auren down by the chain around his neck, swiftly stabbing the knife directly in the Triad member's heart. "You're pathetic."

In an adrenaline fused flash of speed, Auren took the knife from his chest, turning around within the fire bender's grasp, to plunge the knife straight into his neck. "No…you're pathetic." The Triad member said, watching the man stumble back to the wall as exhaled his last breath.

Beginning to feel light-headed, Auren stood in place watching the blood flowing down his arm, contradicting the pain he couldn't yet feel. Time around him seemed to slow, as he staggered to the wall, extending an arm out to support himself. Turning to lean against the wall, he heard Suyin's voice call his name through the constant pounding in his ears. With his head hanging, he saw two hands grab his chest as he slid down the wall.

Auren lifted his head, feeling a pressure behind his eyes as they attempted to clear up the image of the matriarch's face in front of him. When her face came into view, he saw her eyes widened and darting with worry.

"Shit." Suyin frantically tried to stop the blood from pouring out of his chest with her hands.

They had met years ago in Republic City, when she had first gotten involved with the Triad gang. Finding him, amongst all the nasty men in the gang had been a life-saver for her. They watched out for each other…or rather_ he_ watched out for her.

"…yup that's …how I feel right now." Auren said trying to reassure her with a smile, as he breathed through is mouth.

"That's _not_ funny." The matriarch looked back at him with angry eyes, before turning her head to see the other guards standing with shocked expressions on their faces. "Well don't just stand there like idiots…two of you, go get help, Now!"

Two out of the four guards present left immediately after Suyin's enraged outburst. As they left, Auren turned his head, staring at the other two present.

"Don't bother." The Triad member said, looking back to Suyin's worrying face as he removed her hands from his chest. "I was already injured before I got here."

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><p>Sitting on the bench, Kuvira pulled her father's jacket over her head, protecting herself from the rain. "Dad, where are you?" She hopped off the bench, making her way in the same direction he had left, letting the bottom of the jacket drag in the street as she walked closer to the guards blocking the alleyway.<p>

Out of curiosity, she peeked in between the two guards standing in front of the alley. She smiled for a moment seeing her father; sitting up against the wall with his head down, as he listened to the words of the woman kneeling in front of him.

But her smile soon faded, as she noticed the dark tint to his clothing that she only remembered seeing whenever he was hurt.

"_I'm not ready for you to go yet."_

Kuvira heard the unfamiliar woman's words too; but paid no attention to them, as her eyes stared at the blood covering the man; her father and the only person she could call a parent.

"Dad?" She said too quietly for anyone to hear. Dropping the jacket from over her head to the ground, she pushed between the guards.

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><p>Looking up at Suyin, Auren watched the rain run down her face, sticking the wet locks of her dark hair to its sides. "I'm…glad you got out…when you did."<p>

Through his blurry vision he focused on her saddened eyes. "You've done something…amazing here." Slowly he brought his hand up to the matriarch's face, pausing before he used a finger to flick her in the forehead.

"Hey! What was that for?"

Auren laughed as best as he could watching Suyin rub her forehead. _'Just like old times'_

"I would have…never thought…that a little pain in the ass…like you…would have created all this."

Suyin smiled as she brought her hand down, lowering her head in the process to look at the splashes of rain hit the mud. "I grew up…and realized you were right."

Auren looked down, feeling himself getting further away from life. "Well I'm just…glad your past didn't…follow you."

"Well I-"

"Hey! You can't go in there!" Suyin turned her head to see one of her guards restraining a little girl, holding her back as she fought his grip.

"Leave me alone!" The girl turned back, trying to pry the hand from her arm.

Auren's head snapped up hearing his daughter's voice, and for a moment he forgot about pain and forgot about dying. "Hey! Don't you touch her!"

Suyin looked back at the earth bender, watching him struggle as he used the last of his strength trying to get up from the mud. "Don't move. They won't hurt her."

Pushing him back down, the matriarch looked at the man breathing heavily as his shoulders slumped. Who was this little girl and what was she to him?

Turning her head to the guard, she gestured with a slight movement of her head. "Let her through."

Kuvira ran to her father, brushing past the unfamiliar woman. "Dad."

Auren looked up, opening an arm to the girl, wincing as he felt her impact hit his side. "Hey kiddo."

"You forgot about me, and I was scared." Kuvira said, burying her face into his chest.

Closing his eyes, the earth bender took in a deep breath as he held his daughter closer. "No…I didn't forget…about you."

Kuvira looked up at his face, noticing the hazy look to his eyes, as she listened to the labored breathing pattern of the earth bender. "Why are you breathing funny?" She turned her head to Suyin whose horrified eyes darted between her and Auren. "What's going on, Dad?"

"Shhh…." With an unsteady hand, Auren turned Kuvira's head away from Suyin. "Come here."

Lifting his head, he saw the matriarch's wide eyes staring at the girl in his arms.

"I-Is she your…d-daughter?"

As Suyin looked up, Auren silently nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"What were you doing here in the first place Auren?"

Taking a few shallow breaths, the earth bender turned his head to look out the opening of the alleyway. "…I was…bringing her…to you."

"What?"

Hearing the shock in Suyin's voice, he turned his head, connecting their eyes.

"Yes…I wanted…to ask you…to do me the biggest…favor of my life…and take her…with you."

The matriarch lowered her head to look at Kuvira, burying herself further into his chest, hiding away from all the onlookers.

"Please Suyin." Auren pleaded with the matriarch, knowing it was only her decision to make. "I can't give her…what she needs…anymore." He shifted his gaze back down to Kuvira. "Please take care…of her for me."

Lifting his arms slowly through the pain he could now feel, he placed his hands on the sides of the girl's head below. Leaning down, he kissed the top of her head. "I love you kiddo. Don't _ever _forget that."

Moving his hands to her shoulders, he drew the girl in closer, as he lifted his head to gaze past the matriarch over to the wall at the opposite end. "Do you remember…what I always tell you?"

Kuvira looked up. "Stay here."

The earth bender smiled, feeling himself getting colder with each passing minute. "No…not that, the other one I always say."

Gazing down into the fabric of his blood-stained shirt, Kuvira remembered what he'd always say to her before she went to sleep, wherever they happened to be. "You're unbreakable." She said softly.

"Exactly, now look at me…and tell me that."

"I'm unbreakable?" Kuvira looked up, noticing how her father's eyes appeared more tired than they had been just minutes ago.

Auren nodded, hearing the lack of courage in his daughter's voice as he rubbed her shoulder. "In time, I hope…you will believe that."

Leaning her head against his chest, Kuvira heard the difficult shallow breaths he took get more and more spaced apart, as she closed her eyes. "Dad, when are we going home?"

Auren brought his head up to Suyin one last time, before gazing back down at Kuvira with despair in his eyes. "You're already here kid."

Watching his vision go dark, he used his last words to reassure his daughter. "…and I won't…ever be…that far…away from you." He took a last deep breath. "But, right now…I'm tired…so let me…take a nap, would ya?"

After a few moments, Suyin quickly looked up hearing the deafening silence in the alley. "Auren?"

With no response, the sound of the rain hitting the ground was the only thing audible in the stillness of the night.

Kuvira looked up at her father's closed eyes, feeling his arms go limp.

"Dad?" She brought her small hands up to his face. "Why aren't you saying anything?" She lifted his head, running her fingers over his face, noticing the lack of life. "No, dad I don't want you to take a nap. Wake up." Her voice broke in desperation as her hands grew more frantic. "WAKE UP!"

Watching the girl push herself out from her father's lifeless arms with a terrified look on her face, the guards looked down, taking off their helmets.

Hyperventilating, Kuvira sat in the mud, looking at Auren's slumped form with wide eyes.

Suyin slowly looked over to the girl, before she moved to her, silently taking Kuvira into her arms. She gazed down at the mud, listening to the girl cry tears camouflaged by the rain, as she held onto her through wet clothes.

Taking in a deep breath, the matriarch heard Auren's words echoing in her mind, as she remembered the night they had almost come close to death.

"_It isn't that easy Suyin. This is more than just a passing gig…it's a lifestyle…one that will catch up to us if we aren't careful." _

He had warned her years in advance of this very occurrence, and now he was the victim of his own life. As her eyes began to burn, Suyin looked at Auren's body before dropping her head, letting it hover over the girl she had pulled into her arms.

Feeling the little girl shake, the matriarch broke from her thoughts, slowly standing up out of the mud, taking Kuvira with her.

"….We need to get out of the rain…." Suyin said, staring at Auren's body as she watched the rain bounce off the skin on the back of his neck. "…Bring the body with us…" She turned, and walked slowly to the opening of the alley with tentative steps, as the girl's fingers dug themselves into the collar of her shirt. "…and tell the other guards…to call off the search for help."

Listening to the monotone like drone of the matriarch's voice the guards kept their heads down. "Yes ma'am."

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><p><span><em>Two Days Later <em>

"Here, give me your hand." Suyin reached out for little girl's hand. "You ready to go?"

Kuvira took the matriarch's hand silently, as she let herself be led up into the Mountains of Zaofu. She looked down at her feet walking with a lag, finding anything else to pay attention to other than the guards behind them carrying her father's body to his final resting place. She lifted her head up to the matriarch above her noticing her face was set in a stoic frown.

No tears ran from her eyes; No signs of her sadness remained. Suyin was trying to be strong for the little girl who held onto her hand with an iron grip. She had her time to grieve and cry, but that had now passed.

In the cold evening air, Kuvira felt her legs start to ache from climbing up the hills. When her pace got slower, Suyin stopped; looking down at the girl with reddened eyes, as she bent over taking Kuvira up into her arms.

Over Suyin's shoulder Kuvira had a clear view of the guards carrying the metal box. She didn't want to see it. And as the wind blew through her hair, she gave one last look at the picturesque greenery around them, watching the city get further and further behind, before she took her arms from around Suyin's neck; trying to bury her face in the matriarch's shoulder.

She wanted to hide away from reality if she could; finding comfort in the stranger she hadn't known for that long. Suyin had become her new safe zone. Kuvira found solace in being close the woman. She had a face that the little girl hadn't seen in a long time; a face of compassion.

Through the darkness of the world she had seen, her father had always been that light, making her forget the cruelties of life. But now he was gone, and although this woman would never be him, she had become the same kind of light in the darkness.

Kuvira gathered her courage and looked up from Suyin's shoulder; hoping that her father would get up and tell her it was all a joke. She stared with unblinking eyes, waiting for the wish to come true that never would. Lowering her eyes, she sniffled and buried her head into Suyin's neck. "…dad…"

Hearing that word broke the matriarch's resolve, as tears escaped from her eyes.

Coming to a fork in the road, Suyin stopped as she rubbed the girl's back. "Hey?"

When the little girl didn't move, Suyin crouched down, setting Kuvira to her feet. "Come on now, why don't you pick out a nice spot for him." Suyin said in a soft voice to the girl whose face was still buried in her neck. Pulling back from the matriarch, Kuvira looked into her eyes feeling Suyin nudge her. "Go on."

Turning around in the older woman's arms, Kuvira looked out at the scenery before her, letting her eyes set on a grassy cliff overlooking Zaofu. "There." She pointed.

Suyin turned her head in the direction of the girl's finger as she smiled. "Yeah, I liked that spot too." Looking over to the guards, the matriarch lifted a hand from the girl, gesturing for them to start the burial.

The guards moved with heavy steps, placing the box down, before two of them opened a hole into the ground.

"Do you want to see him one last time?" Suyin frowned, watching the girl shake her head. Looking back to the guards, the matriarch nodded her head, signaling for the final burial process. "Go ahead."

Kuvira stayed turned around watching the burial, but she didn't want to see his body. She kept his memory alive by not being reminded that he was dead. "Why don't we burn people when they die?" She stayed silent for a long moment, not noticing the disturbed look on Suyin's face. "…Fire benders do."

The matriarch watched the girl walk away from her grasp in a trance like state, as she sat down on the hole the guards had just filled. Suyin looked at the girl staring out at the setting sun for moment before she got up, dismissing the guards in the process. She couldn't begin to imagine the kinds of evil Kuvira's eyes had already witnessed at such a young age.

Taking a seat next to the girl, she quoted something her mother had once said in one of her rare wise moments. "What is born of the earth should never be destroyed by fire; instead, it should be allowed to naturally become part of it again." Suyin smiled gazing out at the sun as well. "That's just part of being an earth bender."

Hearing a sniffle followed by a shaky inhale next to her, the matriarch turned to the girl, watching her cry silent tears.

"Come here." Suyin reached an arm around Kuvira, bringing her in closer to her side. As the girl leaned against her, the matriarch said nothing; feeling Kuvira's wet tears soak through her shirt. She needed this release; it would have been insensitive to tell her not to cry and be stronger. Her true strength was in letting go and releasing the emotions that would only hold her back.

"Why did he have to die?"

Suyin continued to gaze out, transfixed on the sight of her city bathed in a deep orange glow. "Death is unexpected sometimes." She tightened her arm around the girl whose tears began to cease. "And often it isn't fair in how or who it chooses to take."

Taking her eyes away from the view, Suyin remembered the item she had put in her pocket before they left. "Hey, I have something for you."

Breaking her hold from around the girl, the matriarch moved into a crouching position, as she turned to face Kuvira who stared with curiosity back into her own eyes.

"Give me your hand." Suyin said, reaching into her pocket, grabbing the long heavy metal that she couldn't bend.

Taking Kuvira's hand into her own, the matriarch pulled out the long platinum chain watching the girl's eyes widen.

Kuvira recognized that chain all too well. It was the one her father_ never_ took off; he always told her he'd die before he did. She never got the chance to ask him why it was so significant, but she had it now, and it was a small piece of him that she could keep.

"Here." Suyin placed the chain into the girl's open hand, hoping that Kuvira didn't notice the spots of blood lodged between the links that she wasn't able to scrub out. "I'm sure it's unbreakable too."

Kuvira gazed at its metal work for a second before she lifted her eyes back up to Suyin's. "Can you put it around my neck?"

"Sure." Suyin took the chain from Kuvira's hand, reaching out to clasp it around the girl's neck.

Hanging like a noose around her neck, Kuvira brought the chain into her fingers, watching it shine in the evening sun. "You'll grow into it one day."

At Suyin's voice, Kuvira looked up, imitating the woman's contagious smile, before it faded away from the girl's face as she dropped her head. "Where do I go now?"

Suyin rested a hand on Kuvira's shoulder. "How about you stay with me?" The matriarch reached down lifting the girl's head with her finger. "You think you could deal with me for a while?"

Kuvira smiled, silently accepting the offer with a nod.

"Good." Suyin stood up, pulling Kuvira by her hand to do the same. "Alright well, you ready to get out of here?"

"Almost." Kuvira let go of Suyin's hand as she bent down to touch the grave. "Good-bye dad."

Listening to the girl's last words, the matriarch gazed up, out to the city that had gone dark and whispered her own. "Good-bye old friend…don't worry, I'll take care of her." Taking in a deep breath she closed her eyes, losing herself in the wind that passed over her face.

Jarred by the sudden impact of a hand that grabbed her own; Suyin looked down at the girl. "Now are you ready?"

"Yeah, I think I am."

Without another word, Suyin led the girl back down the mountain side, to her new home below.

* * *

><p><span><em>174 AG-<em>_RETURNING TO ZAOFU_

"Great Uniter…are you ok?"

"I am perfectly fine." Kuvira said walking to the guard in front of her door.

Her appearance contradicted her words, as the guard took in the tattered worn look of her uniform. The dirt from the ground had stained the green colored material to a murky version of its normally spotless exterior. Her hair had fallen out of its meticulously done up-do to frame her face in a crazy and erratic fashion.

Staring at him, the person before him looked more like a raging bull, unrecognizable from the calm and collected Great Uniter.

"Move." Kuvira pushed past him, opening the door to her room.

Stepping over the threshold of the temporary place she called home, Kuvira heard the door close behind her. Her legs felt heavy with every lagging step forward she took over to the chair sitting in front of a full length mirror.

Reaching it, she gripped its cold metal back with both hands before sinking her head down between her shoulders, allowing the sweat to drop from her face onto the seat below.

In reality she wasn't ok. Her body ached like never before, and she was breaking emotionally; but most of all, she was disturbed by the fact that she had almost been killed by the Avatar.

Had she been killed, she would have failed; and the Great Uniter never failed.

As her anger rose with every passing second, Kuvira's breathing hastened. Feeling herself losing her grip on her anger, she pushed through the negative thoughts; letting her mind find the one memory that always calmed her down.

Closing her eyes, she tried to remember the feel of the matriarch's hand on her shoulder. It was a simple gesture, but one that Suyin often did when she saw the angry look in the guard's eyes.

"Let it go."

She breathed in, repeating the words the matriarch always said.

"Let it go."

She ran a hand over her face.

"…Let it…go."

She regained her control.

Pushing herself up from the chair, she closed her eyes; inhaling a deep breath as she rolled her shoulders back, regaining her composure. Turning in the direction of the dresser, she ignored her reflection in the mirror.

Walking to the dresser, she slowly removed every piece of her armor by hand, placing them in an organized manner on its metal top .

Picking up the brush that lay not far away, she took down the rest of her hair from the mess it had been, before she brushed out the knots until it was smoothed down once again.

Now, she was ready to look at herself in the mirror.

Kuvira undid the top of her uniform as she moved over to the mirror, draping the dirty article of clothing over the back of the chair.

Pausing in her steps; the Great Uniter held onto the metal frame underneath her uniform jacket, as she squeezed her hand before sitting down in front of the mirror. Resting her forearms on her knees, she gazed at the _same_ platinum chain hanging from around her neck; the one _she_ never took off.

Amidst every bruise and scar reminding her of her failures, the chain still held together, _strong_ as the day Suyin had given it to her. "I'm _still_ unbreakable dad." Kuvira gazed at her own tired eyes staring back at her, before she sighed and looked to the floor. "Still…"

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><p><strong><span>Another Author's note<span>: If you're reading this, I'm guessing you actually stuck around to the end. lol…send me a message or review/comment and tell me some of your thoughts about this..._Like always,_ I'm still friendly and I'd _love_ to know who read through the entire thing . lol ;)**

**-oh and yup...still working on unintended consequences (If you're following that story lol)...I hope you will like what I have planned for that one.**


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